Fluid pressure rotary engine



Jan.20,1959

J. H. HEIMAN, JR

FLUID PRESSURE ROTARY ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1958 TIGZY s a mu u MA WM v N H wm M/ n W 8 w Jan. 20, 1959 J. H. HEIMAN, JR 2,869,516

Y FLUID PRESSURE ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 9, 195a z Sheets-Sheet 2 I v" 1 l l8 [llIlLLL A i X 1 INVENTOR.

LLJJ u u Jm-m H.HE\MAu,.\r.

A? To 2 MEY-S Jan. 20., 1959 ,1, H. HEIMAN, JR FLUID PRESSURE ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 9, 195a s Sheets-Sheet 3 2 If V////// n W/S/ INVENTOR. Jm-m H.He\MAu,Jr.

ATTORNEY-s United States Patent FLUID PRESSURE ROTARY ENGINE John H. Heiman, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 9, 1958, Serial No. 734,180

Claims. (Cl. 121-73) The present invention relates to a fluid pressure rotary engine of the type having a rotary piston.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid pressure rotary engine which is operable by steam or other fluid pressure, one quiet in operation, one highly efiicient when operated on low pressure fluid, and one positive in action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fluid pressure rotary engine which has relatively few parts, one which may be constructed in any size with any number of rotors as desired, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the engine according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view from the top of the assembly shown in Figure 1 with the manifold shown cut away to show the inlet openings,

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, and on an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a schematic view showing a first step in the operation of the engine,

, Figure 7 is another schematic view showing a second step, and

'when viewed as in Figure 3.

A rotor 20 is secured to the shaft 14 for rotation therewith and is provided with a groove 22 extending completely around the periphery, the groove 22 being semicircular in cross section, as shown most clearly in Figure 4. v

A second rotor 24 is similarly provided with a groove 26, the second rotor 24 being fixedly secured to the rotor 20. Any number of rotors may be mounted within the chest on the shaft 14, as desired. ,For the purposes of illustration only two rotors will be described.

A piston 28 bridges the groove 22 and is fixedly secured to the rotor 20, as shown in full lines in Figure 3. A second piston 30 is similarly positioned and secured to the rotor 24 and is seen in Figure 3 to be diametrically oppoiste the piston 28 and shown in dotted lines.

A pair of cylindrical piston chambers 32 and 34 are positioned within the chest 12 so as to be tangential with respect to the grooves 22 and 26, respectively. Each ice chamber 32 and 34 has one end in communication with the associated groove 22 or 26. As shown in Figure 3, with respect to the rotor 20 and chamber 32, a piston 36 is workable in the chamber 32 and when it is at the limit of its movement upwardly with respect to the chest 12 it projects into the groove 22 and closes the same. The piston 36 has a piston rod 38 projecting from its lower end and the piston rod 38 carries a second piston 40 which has an upper face and a lower face. The piston 36 with the piston 40 constitutes a double piston movable within the chamber 32 as a unit. Another piston (not shown), is workable in the other chamber 34 and is similarly constituted.

A manifold 42 is formed by a cover on a portion of the chest exteriorly of and spaced from the chambers 32 and 34 and is connected by means of passageways 44 and 46 to the grooves 22 and 26 respectively. The manifold 42 is provided with a single inlet 48 connecting it to a source of fluid pressure, such as a steam boiler, or the like.

A first rotary valve 50 is rotatably supported in the chest 12 with the portion adjacent one end extending exteriorly of the chest 12. The valve 50 bisects the passageways 44 and 46 and controls the flow of fluid pressure from the manifold 42 into the grooves 22 and 26.

The holes 52 and 54 in the valve 50 are at right angles to each other. A seen in Figures 3 and 5, other pasasgeways 56 and 58 connect the manifold 42 to the chambers 32 and 34 and a second rotary valve 60 is mounted in the chest 12 with the portion exteriorly of the chest 12 so that it bisects the passageways 56 and 58 and controls the flow of fluid pressure from the manifold 42 into the chambers 32 and 34.

The grooves 22 and 26 have outlets 62 and 64.

Other passageways 66 and 68 connect the chambers 32 and 34 to the atmosphere, as shown most clearly in Figure 3, with reference to the passageway 66. A third rotary valve 70 bisects the passageways 66 and 68 and controls the exhausting of the fluid pressure from the chambers 32 and 34. All of the valves 50, 60 and 70 have portions exteriorly of the casing or chest 12 and each carries a spur gear on the projecting end portions as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The gears for the valves 50, 60 and 70 are designated by the numerals 72, 74 and 76, respectively. All of the gears 72, 74 and 76 are in mesh with an idler gear '78. The driven shaft 14 carries on its projecting end portion a drive gear 80 which is in mesh with a reversing gear 82, the latter being in mesh with the idler gear 78. Clockwise rotational movement of the shaft 14 causes the gears 72 74 and 76 to rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.

The operation of the engine of the present invention will be fully understood with reference to Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, in which the piston 20 is shown in the groove 22 and the piston 36 is working in the chamber 32. It is to be understood that the sequence of operation will apply also to the piston 30 working in the annular groove 26 and the other piston in the chamber 34. In Figure 6, the piston 28 is shown moving in the direction of the arrow approaching the outlet 62 and forcing before it the spent air within the groove 22. The valve 50 is shown as just closing the passageway 44. Thevalve 60 is shown just-opening'by reason of its rotation in the direction of the arrow and admitting steam or other fluid under pressure tothe side of the piston 40 nearest the piston 36. This results in shifting of the piston 36 out of the groove 22, moving in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 7. A partition 84 divides the chamber 32 and the piston rod 38 travels through the partition 84. The valve 70 is shown in Figure 7 to be open and allowing the air on the side of the partition 84 nearest the piston 36 to be exhausted to atmosphere. The air on the side of the piston 40 remote from the piston 36 is being exhausted 3 through outlets 86 and 88. The piston 28 now is not impeded in its path in the groove 22 and moves to the position shown in Figure 8. The valve 60 has now turned to the position in which it admits fluid under pressure to theside of the partition 84 adjacentthe piston 36 and the valve lilis moved to the position in which it permits the fluid pressure on the side of the piston 4-0 adjacent the piston 36 to escape through the passageway 66. Fluid pressure on the side of the piston 36 adjacent'the partition '84 effects the movement of the piston 36 to the position in which it bridges and closes the groove rue. The piston 28 in the meantime has traveled past the passageway and the valve 50 is moved to open the passageway 4-4, permitting fluid under pressure to again exert pressure on the side of the piston 28 adjacent the piston 36.

Meanwhile, the piston in the chamber 34 and the piston 30 in the groove 36 are similarly operated and the shaft '14 is driven with smooth impulses applied to it for every 180 degrees of revolution.

A machine to be driven may be connected to either projecting end portion of the shaft 14 as desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fluid pressure rotary engine, a closed chest, a shaft to be rotated mounted in said chest, a rotor secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said rotor being provided with a groove extending completely about the periphery thereof, a piston bridging the groove and carried by said rotor, a cylindrical piston chamber within said chest and arranged tangentially with respect to said groove and having part of one end in communication with said groove, a piston working within said chamber, a manifold within said chest and spaced from said piston chamber, an inlet into said manifold for introducing fluid pressure into said manifold, a first passageway connecting said manifold to said groove, a second passageway connecting said manifold to said piston chamber intermediate the ends thereof, an outlet from said groove, a first rotary valve in said first passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to said groove, and a second rotary valve in said second passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to said piston chamber.

2. In a fluid pressure rotary engine, a closed chest, a shaft to be rotated mounted in said chest, a rotor secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said rotor being provided with a groove extending completely about the periphery thereof, a piston bridging the groove and carried by said rotor, a cylindrical piston chamber within said chest and arranged tangentially with respect to said groove and having part of one end in communication with said groove, a piston working within said chamber, a manifold within said chest and spaced from said piston chamber, an inlet into said manifold for introducing fluid pressure into said manifold, a first passageway connecting said manifold to said groove, a second passageway connecting said manifold to said piston chamber intermediate the ends thereof, an outlet from said groove, 21 first rotary valve in said first passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to said groove,,a second rotary valve in said second passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to said piston chamber, a third passageway connecting said piston chamber with the atmosphere, and a third rotary valve in said third passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said piston chamber to the atmosphere.

3. In a fluid pressure rotary engine, a closed chest, a shaft to be rotated mounted in said chest, a rotor secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said rotor being provided with a groove extending completely about the periphery thereof, a piston bridging the groove and carried by said rotor, a cylindrical piston chamber within said chest and arranged tangentially with respect to said groove and having part of one end in communication with said groove, a double piston working within said chamber, a manifold within said chest and spaced from said piston chamber, an inlet into said manifold for introducing fluid 1* pressure into said manifold, a first passageway connecting said manifold to said groove, a second passageway connecting said manifold to said piston chamber intermediate the ends thereof, an outlet from said groove, a first rotary valve in said first passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to said groove, and a second rotary valve in said second passageway for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to each side of one of said pistons.

4. In a fluid pressure rotary engine, a closed chest, a shaft to be rotated mounted in said chest, at least two rotors arranged in end to end relation secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, each of said rotors being provided with a groove extending completely about the periphery thereof, a piston bridging each groove and carried by the adjacent rotor, a cylindrical piston chamber within said chest and arranged tangentially with respect to each of said grooves and having part of one end in communication with said groove, a piston working within each of said chambers, a manifold within said chest and spaced from said piston chambers, an inlet into said manifold for introducing fluid pressure into said manifold, a first passageway connecting said manfold to each of said grooves, a second passageway connecting said manifold to each of said piston chambers intermediate the ends thereof, an outlet from each of said grooves, a first rotary valve in each of said first passageways for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to the adjacent groove, and a second rotary valve in each of said second passageways for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to the adjacent piston chamber.

5. In a fluid pressure rotary engine, a closed chest, a shaft to be rotated mounted in said chest, at least two rotors arranged in end to end relation secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, each of said rotors being provided with a groove-extending completely about the periphery thereof, a piston bridging each groove and carried by the adjacent rotor, a cylindrical piston chamber within said chest and arranged tangentially with respect to each of said grooves and having part of one end in communication with said groove, a double piston working within each of said chambers, a manifold within said chest and spaced from said piston chambers, an inlet into said manifold for introducing fluid pressure into said manifold, a first passageway connecting said manifold to each of said grooves, a second passageway connecting said manifold to each of said piston chambers intermediate the ends thereof, an'outlet from each of said grooves, a first rotary valve in each of said first passageways for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to the adjacent groove, and a second rotary valve in each of said second passageways for controlling the flow of fluid pressure from said manifold to each side of one of said pistons in the adjacent piston chamber.

No references cited. 

